Jordan Love gets paid
You've followed the quarterback's NFL path right here at Go Long the last four years. Now, he's the richest quarterback in league history. Let's look back.
The sample size is small.
He’s also worth every penny.
Last night, the news broke: the Green Bay Packers reached a four-year, $220 million deal with quarterback Jordan Love. At $55 million per year, he’s the richest player in league history alongside Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow.
What a road it’s been to this point, from controversial 26th overall pick in 2020 to waiting… and waiting… and waiting to take over the reins in 2023.
O.G. subscribers will remember we planted the flag in the dirt upon launching this longform site. One of our first stories declared Brian Gutekunst’s succession plan genius. So in light of this historic contract, I figured we’d share all of our Love features in one location. Hey, we’re not going to hit the bull’s eye every time. But there’s always been something distinctive about Love’s game and — most importantly — his wiring.
You’ve chosen to make Go Long part of your life so hopefully you know Jordan Love better than anyone when you throw a few beers back with friends.
Next week, our season-preview series will continue with another extensive look at the Packers quarterback. It’ll be exclusive to our paid subscribers.
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Until then, here’s a look back.
Everyone from Brett Favre to Kurt Warner to Steve Calhoun to a slew of teammates and coaches and execs weigh in on the quarterback.
Apparently Utah State wideout Siaosi Mariner knew what he was talking about when he said this in 2020.
“You’re going to get Patrick Mahomes. But I don’t even want to discredit Jordan. He definitely is his own person. He’s Jordan Love. There’s just a different thing about him. He has that swagger about him. When he walks into the building, you just kind of know, ‘OK…’ He definitely passes the eyeball test. And then when you see him do it, it’s an ‘I told you so’ thing. He looks the part. He makes everything look effortless. Everything’s so smooth with him.
“The things Patrick Mahomes is doing, he can do as well. I don’t even want to put a cap on him. Patrick Mahomes is a great player but this is Jordan Love.”
Stories below.
Enjoy.
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Jordan Love (and his GM) send a message to the NFL
Back when the world was declaring Jordan Love a colossal bust, back when fans and media members and a protesting Aaron Rodgers perpetuated this myth in various ways, nobody cared to wonder if the grass was greener on the other side. Doom — and doom only — quite obviously lurked on the dark side of this rainbow.
And for Jordan Love's next act...
He’ll become a rich man very soon. Jordan Love played his way into the upper tier of quarterback contracts late last season.
Jordan Love is the answer at QB. Now, about everything else…
One of Ted Thompson’s greatest moments was when the Green Bay Packers general manager poked fun at his own tendency to say absolutely nothing. At the NFL Combine, Thompson joked that he could go full George Costanza and do the opposite of what everyone expects. Spill all trade secrets. Yes, those close to Thompson insist his sense of humor was A+. Even Brett Favre used to slug beers with him in the 90s.
Happy Hour: Steve Calhoun on the past, present and future of Jordan Love
The great mystery of this 2023 NFL season resides in Green Bay, Wisc.
FAVRE: Time for Jordan Love to make ‘chicken salad’ out of ‘chicken shit’
These are bizarre times in Green Bay. After three decades of sublime quarterback play and perennial contention, the future is a total unknown. The 2023 Packers are 2-5 and, now, Jordan Love has 10 games to prove he’s the quarterback of the future. Pressure’s heating up for all involved: GM Brian Gutekunst, head coach Matt LaFleur, Love and a green-as-g…
'Does he have that something special?' Kurt Warner dissects QB Jordan Love
Jordan Love is living a first-year quarterback’s worst nightmare this 2023 season.
A new day in Green Bay
The hatred between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears seeps deep into the pores of both institutions. It’s a beautiful thing. Since Game No. 1 — in 1921 — the animosity has only deepened. And deepened. Generation to generation. I could sense it in Mike Ditka’s raspy voice. Inside the clubhouse of his golf course, the Bears icon struggles to move around. He’s in his eighties. He delivered and absorbed more pain than he could possibly remember.
'He’s going to prove everybody wrong'
To most of the football world, Jordan Love remains a mystery man. We’ve seen preseason teases, primetime snippets and… that’s about it. But there’s a reason the Green Bay Packers are so confidently forging ahead with the 2020 first-round pick. This new sheriff
'He can be one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL:' A chat with the man who knows Jordan Love best
The meteoric rise of others in the 2020 draft did him zero favors. When Joe Burrow is leading the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl and Justin Herbert is throwing for 5,014 yards in Year 2 — and when there’s even all sorts of newfound hype around Tua Tagovailoa in Miami — it’s easy to forget about that
Our 2024 NFL Season Preview series:
Wise move to go 4 years. The cap will go up every year, especially if they go to 18 games, so being able to start negotiating after year 3 is gonna pay off big time. And if Tyler's wrong about Love's future (I take no responsibility for agreeing with him), he will have to get by on his $220mm plus for the rest of his life. Oh well.